Long Giang, Kien Trung and Duc Thien are all former Vietnam internationals at Under-23 level, while The Son is an Under 19 representative.

The major general of the Vietnamese police force - Ho Sy Tien - confirmed the group of six were arrested, while he revealed they would be harshly punished as Vietnam football continues to battle widespread match fixing and illegal betting.

In April, another club Ninh Binh withdrew from the V.League 1 after being caught match fixing in the AFC Cup.

"After collecting all information and evidence, we worked with the Vietnam Football Federation (VFF) leaders and decided on a strict punishment, although the tournament may not wrap up with a happy ending this season," Tien said in Hanoi on Monday.

"These players allegedly defied the law, although they saw what happened to Ninh Binh's players.

"They must be prosecuted for bribery and extortion. It is to save Vietnamese football. The police will soon have a final conclusion on this case."